Ladder



Mal'h 26, .1940- A. KosTUK 2,194,856

K LADDER Filed April 22, 1958 s'sheets-sheet 1 paw.

ATTORN EYS March ze, 194o.

A. Kos'ruK LADDER Filed April 22, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTOR N EYS March 26, 1940v A KOSTUK 2,194,856

LDDER Filed April 22, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 D: Jaya,

ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 26, 1940 LADDER.

"Alexander Kostuk, Bronx, N. Y. `Application April 22, 1938, Serial No. 203,664

5 Claims.

This invention relates to ladders and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character wherein uprights of the ladder may be shortened and lengthened to permit the yladder to be adjusted to desired lengths so that the ladder may be employed to reach different heights above a supporting surface and which will permit collapsing of the ladder into a very short and compact device so that it may be conveniently carried and stored in a small space.

Another object of the invention `is the provision of a construction which may bebuilt into step ladders or ordinary straight ladders.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed. i

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation illustrating a ladder constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

` Figure 3 is a side elevation 'illustrating the ladder in a collapsed and folded position.

Figure 4 is a side elevation showing the ladder adjusted for use on a stairway.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 6--6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line l--l of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Figure 5.

Figure 9 is an exploded perspective View illustrating the construction of the collapsible legs embodying a part of my invention.

In illustrating and describing the present invention I have elected to show a step ladder constructed in accordance with the present invention.v However, it is to be understood that an ordinary straight ladder may be constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the step ladder is shown as consisting of the usual uprights l, supporting legs 2, a rest, 3 and steps 4 with a foldable shelf 5 carried by the legs 2. In the present invention the legs 2 have steps 6 similar in construction to the steps 4 on the uprights l. However, these steps 6 may be omitted if desired. The rest 3 has the legs hinged thereon, as shown at 1, and cushion blocks 8 are secured on the rests for checking the swinging movement of the legs away from the uprights when the ladder is placed in an operativel position. The legs and uprights of the ladder are composed of a plurality of telescopic sections.;

`The opposite sections of the uprights and the legs have the steps secured thereon. The sections of the uprights and legs are of channeled construction, as shownin Figure 9, each section having a slot 'l' with a lip 8'. The lip 8 of each section fits or travels in the slot l of the ad- `jacent section permitting Vthe sections to be slid endwise relative to each other for a limited distance. The lips 8 operating in the slots 'l' prewhereby said sections are releasably secured for sliding movement relative to each other and for securing opposed sections to a step. The spring pressed plungers include linger pieces Il' depending a slight distance below said steps so that they can be easily grasped for contracting ythe plungers and thereby freeing the sections for adjustment relative to cach other. The steps are preferably of channel iron construction arranged in inverted position, that is, with the flanges depending downwardly protecting and partially concealing the spring pressed plungers.

It will be seen that the legs and uprights of this ladder constructed as described will permit the ladder in entirety to be adjusted to various lengths or, if desired, the legs may be adjusted to one length and the uprights adjusted to another length so that the ladder may be used on a stairway, as shown in Figure 4.

The shelf 5 is hinged onto one of the steps of the legs, as shown at l2; and has pivoted thereto braces |3 provided with beveled free ends I4 and notches l5 adjacent said ends. 'Ihe step on the legs directly below and next to the step on which the shelf is hinged is provided with socket portions I6 to receive the free ends of the braces for maintaining the shelf in a supporting position. However, the braces may be easily removed from the socketed elements I6 to allow folding downof the shelf and when the legs and uprights are completely collapsed, as shown in Figure 3, the notches of the braces may engage with pins I1 carried by the lowermost sections of the uprights and thereby maintain the ladder collapsed and folded.

What is claimed is:

1. A ladder comprising the combination of spaced uprights each comprising a plurality of telescopic sections, a rest connecting said uprights, legs hinged on said rest and each comprising telescopic sections, steps having sleeveshaped ends to receive the telescopic sections of the uprights and legs, means acting to prevent complete separation of said telescopic sections of the uprights and legs, means carried by said steps and engageable with said telescopic sections for securing the steps against relative movement on said sections and for securing the sections against endwise movement with relation to each other, a shelf hingedly attached to one of the steps of said legs, and braces pivoted to the shelf and engageable with a lower step when said legs are in an extended position and engageable with the said uprights when in the collapsed position for securing the same in a fully folded and collapsed position.

2. A ladder comprising the combination of spaced upriglits each comprising telescopic sections, a rest connecting said uprights, legs hingedly mounted on said rest, each of said legs comprising telescopic sections, steps having sleevelike ends receiving the telescopic sections of said uprights and legs, said sections having openings, spring pressed plungers carried by said steps and engageable in said openings to releasably secure the telescopic sections against enolwise movement with relation to each other, a shelf hingedly attached to one of the steps of said legs, and braces pivoted to the shelf and engageable with a lower step when said legs are in an eX- tended position and engageable with the said uprights when in the collapsed position for securing the same in a fully folded and collapsed position.

3l. A ladder comprising the combination off spaced uprights each comprising telescopic sections, a rest connecting said uprights, legs hingedly mounted on said rest, each of said legs comprising telescopic sections having elongated slots, steps having sleevelike ends receiving the telescopic sections of said uprights and legs, said sections having openings, spring pressed plungers carried by said steps and engageable in said `openings to releasably secure the telescopic sections against endwise movement relative to each other, said sections having lips engaging in the slots for slidably connecting the sections and for preventing complete separation of the sections, a shelf hingedly attached to one of the steps of said legs, and braces pivoted to the shelf and engageable with a lower step when said legs are in an extended position and engageable with the said uprights when in the collapsed position for securing the same in a fully folded and collapsed position.

4. A step ladder comprising the combination of spaced uprights each comprising telescopic sections, a rest connecting said uprights, legs hinged on said rest and each comprising telescopic sections, means for slidably connecting said sections and coacting therewith to limit endwise movement of said sections relative to each other, steps having sleeve like ends receiving the telescopic sections of the uprights and legs, said sections having openings, spring pressed plungels carried by the steps and engageable in said openings, a shelf hingedly attached to one of the steps of said legs, and braces pivoted to the shelf and engageable with a lower step when said legs are in an extended position and engageable with the said uprights when in the collapsed position for securing the same in a fully folded and collapsed position.

5. A step ladder comprising uprights each including telescopic sections, a rest connecting said uprights, legs hinged on said rest and each including telescopic sections, means for slidably connecting said sections together and limiting the endwise movement of said sections to prevent separation of the sections, steps including sleeve like ends to receive companion sections of the uprights, steps having sleeve like ends receiving the sections of the legs, said sections having openings, spring pressed plungers carried by the steps and engageable in said openings, cushion blocks vcarried by the rest for limiting hinging movement of the legs away from the uprights, a shelf hinged on said legs, braces pivoted on said shelf and engageable with one of the steps for supporting the shelf in an operative position, pins carried by the lowermost sections of the uprights, said braces having notches engageable with the pins for securing the uprights and legs in fully collapsed and folded position.

ALEXANDER KOSTUK. 

